Years Later...

"I'm so very sorry." She repeated. Her eyes still trained away from his face.

Naruto looked at Layla with a sad look. "It's alright Ms. Layla. I understand your reasoning." The mage gently took his hand. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I know but I was mostly expecting you to be more angry with me. With all this time we spent together and I never told you..." Layla felt a slight sting at the corners of her eyes. "I guess I felt guilty because you've told me essentially everything about yourself and I never told you I was dying. I'm sorry.

Naruto sat on Layla's bed and pulled her into a soothing hug. She buried her face into his blazer and softly cried. He gingerly rubbed her back. "It's alright Lay-chan. I know you had no intention of hurting me."

Layla gave a watery laugh before wiping her eyes. "You're such a kind soul, Naru-kun."

"You are too, Ms. Layla." A playfull smile appeared on his face. "Unlike your evil tail and ear pulling daughter."

She lightly smacked Naruto on the arm while giving a delicate laugh. "Leave my daughter alone, she's only six."

"My former sensei was chunin at that age. Never underestimate a six-year-old Ms. Layla." Layla laughed harder at solemn expression on Naruto's face combined with his serious tone of voice.

After Layla composed herself, she gave Naruto a warm hug. "You are such a good friend."

"I know." Naruto simply said. Layla merely rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, thank you for forgiving me. I just need one more thing from you. A serious look was now on the celestial mage's face.

Naruto looked over her in worry. "What is it, Ms. Layla?"

"What do you want me to do with your key? I won't be able to summon you to your home or keep your key safe any longer. So, do you want me to contact a trustworthy celestial mage or is there something you want done?"

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. "I honestly don't know what to do." He looked at Layla. "How much time do you have left?"

"Around four months."

"Then I will make a decision within two." He murmured. "If the Evil Tail and Ear Puller was a few years older, I would just have you give it her. I wouldn't hesitate about that. But she is young..."

"Really? I'm sure you would make Lucy a powerful mage."

"Of course I would. I'm sure I could help Lu-change use her evil powers for good." Layla rolled her eyes while giving hm another smack on the arm.

"Oh hush you."

...

Lucy curiously peered at the two small, cherry wood boxes. Both of them had her mother's spirit's name engraved into it golden lettering. Her mother had placed two necklaces inside each of them.

"Mama, why are you giving these to Naruto? He's mean." She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance at the memories of his mean pranks.

Layla smile in amusement. "Oh is he now?"

"Yeah. He's mean and traps me in weird... what's the word...illo...silk's." Lucy muttered, trying to figure what she wanted to say.

"Illusions?" Layla offered gently.

Lucy vigorouslu nodded. "Illusions. He shows me weird things. One time, I got chased by a giant pink cupcake."

Layla pressed her lips together to surpress her laughter. "I'm sure that's only because you tug at his ears and tails."

"But they're soft and snuggly!"

"And tugging at them hurts him."

Lucy gave her mother a startled look. "I...I...It does?"

"Yes sweetheart, it does."

Tears welled in Lucy's choclate eyes. "Mama summon him so I can say sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Layla patted the spot next to her on the sofa. The young girl sat next to her and looked at her with a remorseful look. "Unfortunately, I can't summon Naruto at the time."

The girl tilted her head. "But whyyyy?" A freightened look appeared on her face. "Can you not summon him because he hates me and doesn't want to be here?" Streams of tears trailed from her eyes. Layla gently brushed them away with her thumbs.

"Naruto isn't mad at you darling. I can only summon him on certain days." Layla carefully explained.

"Oh. When can summon him?"

"I can promise you he'll be here Saturday. In fact, how about you give him those two necklaces to him. I know it would make him very happy."

Chocolate brown eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Most deffinately."

...

Tears pricked at the corners of Naruto's eyes. He roughly swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Layla was deffinately his dearest friend. Naruto ran his fingers over the silver emblem of his old home. Layla had had two specially made necklaces fashioned for him. One was a replica of the Shodaime's necklace, which had been destroyed along with his hitai when he was transported to the Celestial World. The replica was made out of pale green jade, which was bordered by two pearls on each side. The other necklace was a sterling silver replica of his village's symbol. Next to it, was a garnite fire symbol, like the one the respresented the Fire Country. It instantly made him think about jiji telling him about the Will of Fire. And to make the gift even more heartfelt, Lucy had given them to him with an apology for yanking his ears and tails. The little Heartfilia had latched onto his waist and hadn't let go since.

"Layla... you really shouldn't have." He breathed after a while.

The celestial mage gave him smile. "You deserve it. I wanted to do one last thing for my dear friend." She opened her arms, encouraging the spirit to hug her. The fox spirit rest his head on her shoulder and started to softly cry. Layla tensed in shock. "N-Naruto, why are-"

"Please don't leave me." He whispered. "I don't know how I'll live without you. I don't want to be alone again." He relaxed when Layla rubbed his back.

"I'm so sorry Naruto. I don't want to leave you either. I would never leave you like this but..."

"I know." Naruto whispered. Blue eyes darkened with sadness. "I just don't want to be alone again."

"You won't be. I'm sure the other celestial spirits will help you through this."

"I know but... I just don't want to lose my best friend again." Layla flinched at the implied mention of Sasuke.

"I'm sorry." She repeated.

...

"I'm sorry Lay-chan." Naruto solemnly said, doing his best to keep his composure. "He refused to be here."

"If I cannot see my husband one last time then I will see my daughter. Will you please get Lucy?" Her tired brown eyes accented her pleading tone. "And hurry."

"Of course." Naruto swiftly left Layla's room and hurried down the mansion's corridors. He stopped in front of Lucy's door and gently knocked before entering. Lucy was laying on her side with a stuffed bear her arms. Her eyes were distant before focusing on him.

"Is Mama any better?" She whisered before she sat up.

Naruto sadly shook his head 'no'. "She wants to see you though."

"Alright," She hopped her bed and walked up to Naruto. "Naruto?" He dropped down to one knee. "Will Mama get any better?"

The celestial spirit's mouth opened and closed, his words caught in his throat. "I'm not sure, Lu-chan." He gently took the girl's free hand and led her to her mother's room.

Lucy caught sight of her bedridden mother and ran over to her. Naruto helped Layla sit up.

"Hello my darling. I've missed you." She gently ran her fingers through Lucy's hair.

"I missed you too, Mama." Lucy gave Layla a balefull look. "Mama, will you get any better? Naruto said he wasn't sure."

"Everything will be alright, sweetheart."

"But Mama, you're sick. How can everything be fine?"

"Because everything works out in the end." Lucy simply hugged her mother tighter.

Not long after, Lucy fell asleep. "Do you think I should tell her that I'm going to die?"

Naruto took a seat at her side. He mulled over her words before giving a soft reply of, "I think you should have earlier, but now it's too late. It would hurt her like it would hurt Jude if you told her now."

"I see." Her voice held a hint of a forlorn undertone.

"As I have told you many of times, I will respect your decisions no matter what."

Layla gave a soft laugh. "Thank you for that. I'm sorry I put you in this situation."

"It's alright. I'd do anything for you."

A comfortable silence settled between them before the former mage murmured, "Naruto, I feel really tired right now. I... I think that boost you gave me wore off."

Dread settled in Naruto's chest. Earlier in the day, Layla had told him she knew she was going to die that day. He imbued a bit of magic into her to give her enough energy to last through the day and to give her final goodbyes. Naruto roughly swallowed. "Do you want me to force Jude here?"

She weakly shook her head. "That's alright." Naruto helped ease her back down. "Can you take Lucy back to her room?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "And leave you here to pass on alone? I don't think so." He moved Lucy next to Layla before taking a seat next to Layla on her bed. She layed her head against his arm and mover her hand to weakly grab Naruto's. He gently took it and gently rubbed the back of it.

"Layla," He softly began, eyes blankly staring straight ahead. "I'll be sure to watch over Lucy. I'll be sure to turn her into a respectable celestial mage.

"I know you will. And Naru-kun?"

Naruto looked at Layla and his heart broke. The light in his best friend's eyes had nearly faded. She looked tired and sickly with her pale skin and heavy dark circles. But still she managed to give him a warming smile. He couldn't help but return it. "Yeah, Lay-chan?"

"It was honor to be the guardian of your key and your first best friend in Fiore. I hope you get to make new friends. And I hope you get to return to your old home and see your old friends. Goodbye friend." Her chocolate eyes watered with her unshed tears.

Naruto blinked, clearing his own eyes of tears. "Thank you, Ms. Layla. It too was an honor to stand by your side and fight with you. I only wish we could have had more adventures together. I'm glad to have known you and thank you for being my best friend." Tears were now heavily sliding down Naruto's cheeks. Layla had taken her last breath and died with a smile on her face.

...

Naruto stared at Jude Heartfilia with a critical look on his face. Questions were racing through his mind. "Why did you call me here?"

The grief-stricken man had refused to turn around. His attention was solely on the waves crashing into the cliff. Jude frowned before asking, "You knew, didn't you? You knew Lay- she was dying didn't you?"

Naruto hesitate before giving a truthful, "Yeah, I did."

Jude whirled around, giving him a hatefilled glare. "Why didn't you say anything to me?! I could have saved her!"

Naruto sadly shook his head. "No you couldn't have. She opened some gate without all of 12 Zodiac Keys. She knew what the consequences of it were."

"I don't believe you." Jude hissed.

"Then I don't what to tell you."

Jude's eyes somehow became even more hatefilled. "I'll make you pay, you demon fox." He pulled out Naruto's key, that he had stolen from the maid safekeeping it for Lucy until she was older, dangled it over the edge of the cliff. "I warded the mansion with runes before preventing you from summoning yourself."

"Jude no-" But the man dropped it into the awaiting ocean. Jude strode past Naruto as the blonde dropped to his knees in pure horror.

(A/N: I've decided to continue this story. I'm still drafting the plotline for this so I don't know if I'll regularly update this. As for Naruto of the Raging Storms, I'm sort of stuck with this story arc. So I'll update that one when I finish writing the plotline for the story arc and finish a few chapters. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.)